MOM!!! I'm bored!

Summer vacation is here and the battle is on to see how long we can go without hearing these words, “Mom! I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.” You know it’s just a matter of time. Here’s some ideas to help get summer back on track when you do hear them.

• Have an outdoor game day – chalk drawing contests on the driveway; see who can blow the biggest bubbles; have the kids design and then use their own obstacle course in the backyard; turn on the hose and let them get wet while wearing their clothes (kids LOVE to get wet in their clothes instead of swimsuits); search your yard for bugs and then try to figure out what kind of bugs were caught.
• If you have girls, do some pampering – do manicures and pedicures; think of new and different hair designs; kill two things at one time – have your kids try on all of their clothes in the closet thinking of new combinations and weeding out things that no longer fit or are worn out;
• Keep old magazines and catalogs and pull them out when “I’m bored” is spoken.  Let the kids go to town with a pair of scissors – they can make collages or put together story boards based on the pictures they cut out.
• Do your kids like to do experiments? check out these two sites:  Science Bob and The Science Explorer.
• Remember our libraries have lots of things planned throughout the summer including story times and events.  Look here for Cincinnati and Hamilton County or here for Kenton County and Boone County in Kentucky.
• You can also purchase some fun Never Bored Activities Books from Evan-Moor. I bought two of these for my kids for this Summer and after glancing through them, I think they’ll big a big hit with both of my 7 and 5 year old.
• Get the most out of our parks. Spend a few hours letting the kids run around – before you go, sit down with the kids and come up with ideas for a scavenger hunt. Pack a picnic lunch and have a blast!
• Enter the land of make believe – let the kids pick out a favorite book or nursery rhyme. Have them write a play with costumes and a cast of characters (themselves, of course!) all made from things found in their rooms and all about the book or rhyme they chose.
• And if all else fails, look at this amazing list compiled by Love and Logic. ( I didn’t read through it before I made up my list, so if there are duplicates, it was not intentional on my part.)

Here’s your chance to help other readers out. What bag of tricks do you use when your kids tell you they’re bored?  Post your ideas in our comments section.  Here’s to a content and fun-filled Summer!